


Shelter From The Storm

by emilyevanston



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Bucky Barnes, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 16:59:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15778281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/emilyevanston
Summary: Bucky comes to comfort you when a thunderstorm triggers your PTSD.





	Shelter From The Storm

The rain batters against the window.  Even in the compound, with the buildings being as large as they were and as noisy as they were, the sound still permeates through the building.

The rain is fine though.  There is something soothing about the sound of it battering against the windows.  A white noise that would calm you if it was that alone.  It’s not alone though.  Even with the curtains drawn the regular flashes of lightning light up the room.  Even that isn’t terrible, despite how spooky it makes all the mundane things like sofa chairs and laundry baskets look for the brief moment they’re lit up.  The steady rumble of thunder is disconcerting.  It feels like a hungry beast waiting unseen for you to let down your guard so it can pounce and devour you.  But even that is tolerable.

It’s the sudden loud booms you hate.  The ones that shake the very building.  The ones like explosions.  Sounds that drag you back.  Make you forget you’re safe.  Make you forget that you’re in your own bed.  The sounds that make you think you’re still out there while the world topples down around you, crushing you, trapping you.  Making you count down the seconds until you run out of air and you die gasping for breath as the pain of the world crushing down on top of you.

There is a loud clap of thunder and it makes the windows shake in their frames.  You scream.  Your mind immediately being brought back to firefights and airdrops.  It only lasts a moment, and you know logically you’re fine.  Safe and warm in your own room.  Your friends all just outside that door if you need them.  The fact you know all that logically makes it worse.  You feel weak and ineffectual.  Broken.  Like the fact you’re an agent is a farce and people have been pandering to you.  You tremble and start to cry, pulling your pillow up over your head.

There’s a knock at the door and you ignore it.  Another thunderclap shakes the room and you scream again, for a second you can taste blood in your mouth.  But it’s not really there and it fades with the sound.  The door opens and you continue to ignore whoever’s there.  Ashamed of how you’re feeling.

“Doll?”  Bucky says quietly from the door.

You look over at him trembling.  His silhouette blocked out some of the light from the hall, but not as much as it should.  He was making himself small.  Non-threatening.  “Buck?”  You say quietly, the barest shake in your voice.

He takes a few steps into your room.  “Can I come in?”

You nod your head and he closes the door behind him.  There’s another boom of thunder and even though it makes you jump and hide back under your pillow, you notice Bucky flinch too.   “You wanna maybe watch a movie?”  He asks as the sound fades.

You nod your head and he comes closer to you.  “FRIDAY, you think you can put on the Wizard of Oz?”

“Right away, Sergeant Barnes.”  The AI replies and the TV starts up.

“Put the volume right up,”  Bucky says and the roar of the MGM lion gets louder drowning out the sound of the rain.  Bucky turns the lights on and looks around the room.  “Okay, doll.  What do you think?”

There is the flash of lightning, but with the lights on it’s barely noticeable through the curtains.  The boom of thunder follows, and while it’s loud and it does make you jump but having the lights on and the TV going and Bucky right there is already enough to not make you completely overreact.  He comes over to you and sits tentatively on the bed.  

“Thunders one of mine too.”  He says, looking at his hands.  “Not a bad one.  It was worse before… when I was just Bucky.  Still, it gets me, ya know?”

“Really?”  You ask.  He nods his head and you pull the covers back and pat the bed beside you.  He climbs in beside you and you pull the blankets up.  “I just feel weak.  I’m can kill a man with a carefully placed finger, but thunder makes me break down?  What is wrong with me?”

He shakes his head.  “I can’t… I don’t… I don’t think there is anything wrong with you.  But if there is, I’m much more broken than you.”

You move closer to him and he tentatively puts his arm around you.  It’s cool and heavy but his touch is light and comforting.  There is another flash of lightning followed but the rumble of thunder follows after and you both twitch.  Bucky’s arm tightens around you and you look up and smile at him.  His body runs hot, and leaning against him is warm and comforting.  You can hear the steady thud-thud of his heart and it soothes your nerves.  Almost like your own heart wants to match the slow steady rhythm.

“How do you do it?  How do you go out and fight knowing things like this can make you freeze up?”  You ask.

“Same as you, doll.”  He says.  “If it helps, when it matters I’ve never shut down.  In the moment survival is what takes over.”

You sigh and rub your cheek on his chest.  You feel him flinch for a brief moment, but as you tense not sure what you did wrong he relaxes and strokes his hand down your arm reassuringly.  “I guess that’s good to know.”

“Know that no one here is judging you for this.  Everyone has their thing.  Stevie hates being cold.  Bruce doesn’t like yelling.  I dare you to try inviting Natasha to the ballet.  Tony, well, his list is about as long as mine.”  Bucky explains.

“So I’m not a freak?”  You ask him, looking up and meeting his grey/blue eyes with your own.

“Well, you may still be.  But not about this.”  He teases.  “Besides, this helps.”  He says giving you a squeeze.

You nod.  “Thank you, Bucky.”

Bucky presses his lips to the top of your head.  “Anytime, doll.  Besides, I probably wasn’t going to sleep tonight either.

You and Bucky fall silent and just watch the movie.  The storm continues, and each time the thunder sounds you both jump.  Large jumps, become small twitches though.  After the Wizard of Oz you put on Beauty and the Beast.  Halfway through you slip off to sleep, pressed against his chest.


End file.
